The present invention relates to a device for housing communication circuits and equipment such as data circuits for transmitting various data, telephone circuits, and facsimile circuits.
A plurality of printed board units which convert data or sounds to transmission signals are housed within a rack of a communication apparatus. Outer main circuit cables which connect the printed board units with units of another communication apparatus and inner distribution cables for supplying power and connecting printed board to the ground or to an alarm line are disposed within the rack. A test jack is mounted on the front end of the printed board so as to test the function of the printed board and to check the connection between the printed board and the circuit cables. It is necessary that the housing or rack of such a communication apparatus be simple in construction to ease assembly and that it occupy only small area.
In prior art housing devices for communication circuits and equipment, all of the circuits formed on the printed board are connected with the outer circuit cables by a backboard. The backboard is attached to the rear face of the rack. Connectors to which the outer cables are connected are mounted on the rear surface of the backboard and are connected to connectors mounted on the front surface of the backboard by patterns printed on the backboard. The printed board, which is inserted into the rack, is connected to the connectors mounted on the front surface of the backboard by connectors mounted on the rear end of the printed board. Such a construction of the prior art necessitates a backboard and a number of connectors which increase the cost of and complicate the structure of the housing device and also complicate assembly of the rack. Also, the reliability of the connections between the circuit of the printed board and the outer cables is decreased due to the existence of the large number of connections.
Wiring patterns which connect the test jack on the front end of the printed board and the connectors on the rear end of the printed board are formed on the printed board. These wiring patterns occupy a space on the printed board, and, therefore, the space for mounting electronic parts or patterns of communication circuits on the printed board is decreased.
The present invention was made giving consideration to the drawbacks of the prior art.